consume

verb

con·​sume kən-ˈsüm 

consumed; consuming

transitive verb

1

: to do away with completely : destroy

Fire consumed several buildings.

2

a

: to spend wastefully : squander

consumed his inheritance on luxuries

b

: use up

Writing consumed much of his time.

3

a

: to eat or drink especially in great quantity

consumed several bags of pretzels

b

: to enjoy avidly : devour

… mysteries, which she consumes for fun …

—Eden Ross Lipson

4

: to engage fully : engross

consumed with curiosity

5

: to utilize as a customer

consume goods and services

intransitive verb

1

: to waste or burn away : perish

2

: to utilize economic goods

Synonyms

• devour
• eat (up)

Examples of consume in a Sentence

The new lights consume less electricity.

She's making an effort to live more simply and consume less.

Hundreds of books were consumed in the fire.

Recent Examples on the Web

Arepas are corn pancakes that can be consumed on their own or with an array of garnishes and fixings. —Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 15 May 2025

The children who consumed the cookies were transported to Christ Hospital and have since been released, according to WFLD. —Abigail Adams, People.com, 14 May 2025

Research has found that people who regularly consume green tea may have less body fat than those who do not.5 However, research on kombucha and its effects on metabolism is limited. —Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 13 May 2025

In an environment that is rife with divisiveness, having two albums that belong to distinct subgenres — these are not Latin pop — be the most consumed in the country, truly highlights that music has no borders, as corny as that may sound. —Griselda Flores, Billboard, 13 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French consumer, from Latin consumere, from com- + sumere to take up, take, from sub- up + emere to take — more at sub-, redeem

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for consume

• assume
• backroom
• ballroom
• barroom
• bathroom
• bedroom
• boardroom
• bridegroom
• classroom
• cloakroom
• costume
• courtroom

Kids Definition

consume

verb

con·​sume kən-ˈsüm 

consumed; consuming

1

: to destroy by or as if by fire

2

: use up, spend

the search consumed most of our time

3

: to eat or drink up

consumed too much ice cream

4

: to take up the interest or attention of

was consumed with curiosity

5

: to use as a customer

consume goods

consumable

-ˈsü-mə-bəl

adjective